On August 6 and 7, more than 6,000 riders, including 20 riders from Vermont, will pedal in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), an annual bikeathon in Massachusetts with one- and two-day routes from 25 to 210 miles, with the goal of topping last year’s record-breaking gift and raising $66 million for cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Ten of the 20 Vermont riders are from the Mad River Valley, including Brett Belknap, Eric Boyden, Kim Hall and Charles Martley from Fayston, Don Wexler from Moretown, Melody Badgett, Gary Duncan, and Gordy Prichett from Waitsfield and Jen Bennett and Alexandra Garfield from Warren.
“We’re coming off of a record-breaking fundraising year for Dana-Farber, and we’re thrilled to be ‘back in the saddle’ this summer, bringing our PMC community together for our first traditional PMC weekend since 2019 with our sights set on making an even bigger impact in the fight against cancer,” said Billy Starr, founder and executive director of the PMC. “We are so inspired by the dedication of our riders, volunteers, donors, sponsors and community members throughout the last two challenging years and can’t wait to see everyone on the road this August for the 43rd PMC.”
According to a press release, “The Pan-Mass Challenge is a bikeathon that raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the world. The PMC was founded in 1980 by Billy Starr, who remains the event’s executive director. The PMC has since raised $831 million for adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. The event donates 100% of every rider-raised dollar directly to the cause, generating 55% of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue as Dana-Farber’s single largest contributor. The PMC has successfully melded support from committed cyclists, volunteers, corporate sponsors and individual contributors, all of which are essential to the PMC's goal and model: to attain maximum fundraising efficiency while increasing its annual gift. The PMC’s hope and aspiration is to provide Dana-Farber's doctors and researchers with the necessary resources to discover cures for all cancers. For more information on the Pan-Mass Challenge, visit www.pmc.org.
